General Assembly President pleased with cooperation on major global issues

23 December 2011  The President of the General Assembly today expressed satisfaction with the way the main deliberative body of the United Nations has handled major global challenges during its current session.

“I firmly believe that you rose to this challenge,” Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser said in an address to the 193-member Assembly as it neared the end of the main part of its 66th session. “The Assembly acted in concert on many of the major issues of our time and so far adopted around 300 resolutions and decisions in total.”

He said that the Assembly had reaffirmed solidarity with the Palestinian people, noThe Assembly acted in concert on many of the major issues of our time and so far adopted around 300 resolutions and decisions in total.ting that a number of important resolutions on the Palestinian issue had been examined by several committees and adopted.

“It is my conviction that the General Assembly should continue to work collectively for the attainment of a just and comprehensive negotiated peace settlement in the Middle East,” he said.

Mr. Al-Nasser said that enormous efforts had been made and progress is under way on the four key pillars he outlined as the focus of the current session that began in September.

The pillars are peaceful settlement of disputes; UN reform and revitalization; improving disaster prevention and response; and promoting sustainable development and global prosperity.

He also stressed that disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, remains high on the agenda of the current session. The revitalization of the disarmament machinery, including the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, remains one of the key requirements to advance that goal, he added.

In addition, he praised the political will expressed at the High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases in September, terming it a major breakthrough by the international community in protecting the world’s most vulnerable populations.

The Assembly’s collective commitment to preventing, combating and eradicating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance was noteworthy, and the adoption of a resolution to establish the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre was a significant development, he said.

“As members of the chief deliberative and policymaking organ of the United Nations – not to mention the most representative and universal body in the world, and the birthplace of international law – it is our shared responsibility to make peace and prosperity a reality for all,” said Mr. Al-Nasser.

The Assembly took action on several outstanding issues today, including international cooperation on humanitarian assistance and the promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Deliberations are still continuing, however, in its committee dealing with administrative and budgetary issues, also known as the Fifth Committee.